Flying rabbits

I recently took part in the World Sporting and I really enjoyed the event.

Question: I recently took part in the World Sporting and I really enjoyed the event. One thing I did struggle with, though, was the use of rabbit clays being thrown in the air like conventional targets. I really messed up these stands and wondered if there’s a trick to 
hitting them?

DON BRUNT replies: Yes, there is. Firstly, a rabbit clay is far more robust than a standard clay simply because it’s designed to deal with the punishment of rolling along the ground. Consequently, it’s far denser and, especially when edge on, is harder to break, so if possible switch to 7s or 6½s to give you extra kinetic energy per pellet. If you aren’t carrying those cartridges then try ‘choking up’ a little to give you a denser pattern and more strikes on the target. Also, because it’s a denser clay, it is heavier, and combined with its poor aerodynamics this means that it loses speed very quickly when thrown flat so it’s easy to miss it in front. However, when it runs out of forward momentum and gravity takes over it can drop like a stone, so bear that in mind if you are shooting it on the drop.